Republican lawmakers are expected to go to the mat today over an elections bill and background checks for firearms sales, making today seem more like Groundhog’s Day than yesterday.

Sen. George Rivera

Those measures were passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature last year over objections from Republicans. Democrats still have the majority.

Republicans will roll out a new bill that would put last year’s election measure, House Bill 1303, on a two-year time out. The bill creates an all mail-ballot election and allows for same-day voter registration. The House this year already has passed a bill intended to fix unintended election consequences for local governments because of HB 1303. The GOP contention is a law that needs that much fixing needs to be examined.

The GOP lawmakers scheduled to attended a news conference at 11:30 a.m. today about their elections proposal are Sens. Kevin Grantham of Canon City and Kevin Lunderg of Berthoud and Reps. Libby Szabo of Arvada and Carole Murray of Castle Rock.

And, according to a news release, they will “simultaneously petition the Legislative Council to create a truly bipartisan one-year commission — modeled on the very successful Flood Disaster Study Committee — to study Colorado election systems and make bipartisan recommendations to the General Assembly.”

Also today, a Senate committee will hear a bill to repeal Colorado’s law regarding background checks for gun sales. It is sponsored by Sen. George Rivera, R-Pueblo, who was elected last September when Democratic Sen. Angela Giron was recalled, in part for her support for tougher gun laws. Senate Bill 94 repeals the requirement that persons who are not licensed gun dealers obtain a background check and the approval of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation prior to transferring a firearm. It also repeals CBI’s authority to charge a fee to cover the direct and indirect costs of performing background checks for all firearm transfers

The measure has been assigned to the so-called “kill committee,” which meets at 1:30 p.m. in the Old Supreme Court chambers.

Senate President Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, has long lauded last year’s bill, which she sponsored. “Data shows it is working, and has blocked over 100 violent felons from taking unlawful possession,” she said on her Facebook page.

Screw the Republican politicians.
I love mail voting.
What needs to be fixed ASAP is the flaw in the Colorado Constitution that prevents mail ballots in recall elections.
Everything else is fine as you will notice that John Caldera did not actually have the chutzpah to vote as he knew it would be illegal.

Guest

The republicans don’t like mail in ballots because democrats win if mail in ballots are used. If mail in ballots were allowed to be used in the recalls, the GOP gun nuts would have lost.

Phil Carson

Eliminating background checks and making it harder to vote — great platform to run on in 2014. And a great way to ensure that currently relevant issues are addressed in a timely manner. Sounds like our state reps are following the ALEC method…..

Guest

The GOP should drop these two issues. Especially the election one. Everyone knows that the GOP hates when people who oppose them vote. The GOP are scared and worried because they know the changing demographics are going to make them obsolete.

Migrant3

Legislators who oppose these changes had better make sure that their constituents also oppose the changes. I can count 3 former legislators who voted against the wishes of their constituents.

OrangeFree

*some* of their constituents.

You can’t win in general elections so you subvert the will of the voters by staging low-turn out, single issue farces.

Migrant3

If the voters choose to make an election a “low-turn out” election that is their apathetic choice and cannot be assigned to either party. Everyone was playing by the rules established by our representatives…in their infinite wisdom :).

Guest

You right wingers are good at LOW TURNOUT ELECTIONS, higher turnout regular elections not so much. VA is proof of that where the NRA was dealt a big defeat.

Jack Clancy

VA prove nothing in CO.

Guest

VA is very similar to CO. They are both purple states now. Why did the NRA get beat badly in VA 3 months ago? I am just showing you that you extremists on the right might be able to do good in a low turnout elections on a single issue, in a higher turnout election where MOSTPEOPLE are not voting on one single issue is a whole other matter.

Jack Clancy

Do you think there are extremists Democrats? Rep Steve Lesbock had an excellent Town Hall meeting Sat. I was told I was reasonable. I find him to be reasonable. We don’t agree on everything. Veterans are more inclined to put country first. What troubles me is there was a time in this country when we put country first. I would take the Democrat Party of JFK. By the way JFK was a Life member of the NRA? He did more for this country than you or I will ever do.

Guest

He supported limitatons on firearms. If he was alive today, he would leave the NRA as the NRA has become an extreme organization.

Jack Clancy

I think he would leave the Democrat party as I did. Country first.

Guest

You have always been a conservative and JFK wouldn’t go anywhere near the republican party today as it’s become so extreme and out of touch

Jack Clancy

How do you think you know me. You don’t know my stand on all issues.
I was a JFK Democrat, I left the party when Jimmy Carter gave unconditional pardons to draft dodgers and deserters. I served. JFK was one of us. Were you even alive when he was President?

Guest

The GOP has become such a joke that the GOP needs to hold seminars to teach them how to talk to women

Guest

Lesbock voted yes on numerous gun bills that you NRA types opposed in 2013. You find a democrat that supports limitations on firearms to be reasonable?Good to know.

Guest

Lesbock supported HB 1229, HB 1228, and HB 1226. Thank you for admitting that you find democrats who support limitations on firearms to be reasonable people. I and many others agree with you.

Jack Clancy

I don’t have a problem with background checks and I have no problem paying for them. I’m against online training for concealed handgun permits. Steve voted against the magazine ban. The magazine ban will be the Democrats down fall in the Nov. elections. I don’t think all Democrats are reasonable people, I don’t think all Republicans are reasonable people either. We never address the real gun problem, mental illness.

Guest

No, it won’t. Obama won CO twice in a row despite the NRA urging CO gun owners to vote against him. You extremists on the right that are obsessed about guns are a loud and vocal minority and that is all you will ever be.

Guest

The recall process needs to be changed, so you right wingers cant abuse it and recall someone just because they don’t share the same radical views that you do on a single issue. You people love low turnout elections because it’s the only way you can win.

Jack Clancy

I’m not impressed by someone who only calls people names. Can’t even use your real name.
Why not use your name and some facts?

Guest

I posted facts. You don’t like them?

Jack Clancy

Which facts?

Guest

Why did Obama win CO in 2008 and 2012 when the NRA was running ads against him? All you can claim are two low turnout recalls where 10,000 less people voted in both of the recalls. I gave you two examples of democrats being opposed by the NRA in two purple states and those democrats winning those states quite easily.

Jack Clancy

The Democrats count on low information voters

Guest

The NRA running ads against Obama didn’t work in 2008 and 2012. This is proof enough that you conservative extremists are the minority on a single issue. You and the NRA have failed to make Romney and Mccain win CO. Anyone to you who doesn’t support your radical right wing agenda is a low information voter. We still outnumber you.

Background checks and mail in ballots are supported by the majority of the people. The only people who seem to oppose these common sense things are you right wing nuts. The people who you are referring to are the extremists on the right.

ChillinDenver

So happy to see that the GOP is sticking to their “winning” (snort, snort) strategy. Just keep trying to repeal, defund, obstruct, recall and generally … Just Say No. Absolutely no credible alternatives to the issues/legislation they decry. Really, trying to repeal the background checks? How many times will you vote on that one? The GOP is up to like 42 votes on the ACA. Losers, plain and simple.

Jack Clancy

Your problem is not the GOP. Your problem is “We the People”. Ryan Call tried to shut down the recalls, then claim a victory. The Republicans equally fear the recalls.
The Democrats overreached in 2013 and it looks like they will double down in 2014. The overreach went way beyond guns laws.
It was Democrats who recall Sen. Giron, by double digits.

Guest

The gun base is a right wing extreme minority. If they were so powerful, obama wouldn’t have won CO twice in a row. Two low turnout recalls does not make you gun nuts the majority. Far from it.

Guest

Do you remember when the NRA was telling gun owners to vote against oBAMA because he was going to take their guns? Obama still won CO twice in a row even when you had the NRA opposing Obama and making claims up about how he was going to take your guns. The majority of people are not buying what you right wingers are selling.

Did you notice the democrats won all statewide offices in VA when they were opposed by the NRA?

Jack Clancy

If they were low then maybe the Democrats should have voted? Wait they did and they recalled Sen. Giron by double digits.
VA does not pass laws for CO.

Guest

Mail in ballots weren’t allowed to be used. If they were, the dems would have won easily. That must explain why you conservatives are so against mail in ballots.

Jack Clancy

How do you know that to be true?

Guest

You still have not answered my question. Why did Obama win CO twice in a row despite the NRA being opposed to him and running ads against him?

Jack Clancy

Why did he? I think it may be low information voters.

Jack Clancy

I vote by mail in ballot.

Jack Clancy

I supported the recalls, I did not vote in them. I vote by mail in ballot.
I could have voted with intent based residency.

Guest

We WILL take that seat back in 9 months.

Jack Clancy

Which seat would that be? I think you will loose many in the Nov. elections. I don’t think low voter turnout will be a problem. The Democrats overreach with something to offend everyone.

Guest

Low turnout elections is the only you right wingers can win. Leroy Garcia is a strong democrat. Mail in ballots will be used and it wll greatly benefit us democrats in 9 months.

Jack Clancy

You will have a large turnout in Nov. 2014 elections.

Guest

We will and that’s why we will win.

endthedrugwar

So you’re a Democrat are you? Then tell me Guest, how do you feel about gay rights? I have a screen capture from last December showing your comments and the language you used to describe gays on these blogs. You a democrat. That’s a laugh. Why don’t you e-mail the Democratic office in Denver the comments you’ve made before about gays, and ask them if they think you’re one of them. If you don’t remember all the comments you made regarding gay people, then just let me know and I’ll send the Democrats that screen capture for you.

endthedrugwar

Then what are you worried about Guest?

Guest

We are not worried. We are happy we are going to take back the seat.

endthedrugwar

You obviously are worried Guest, otherwise you’ve wouldn’t have made a dozen posts repeating the same thing over and over. And what is this ‘We’ garbage. It’s just you, unless you’re going to claim all democrats unanimously support all you’re beliefs, including your beliefs with regards to gays. And why didn’t you answer when I asked you about all those comments you made before about how you feel about gays, or are you afraid to answer? Surely you didn’t forgot about all those comments you proudly made back in December about how you feel about gays. If you’ve forgotten, just let me know, and I will post a link to a screen capture of all those comments you so proudly made back then.

Guest

No, I am giving you an example of a democrat being opposed by the NRA and still winning.

Jack Clancy

VA is a suburb of DC anymore. They vote there paycheck.

Guest

Repeal and obstruct, that is all the crazy radical GOP is good for. The GOP are LOSERS.

Guest

DELUSIONAL GUN NUT. CO is a purple state. You right wing single issue extremists are a minority.

Jack Clancy

Why always the name calling?

Guest

You WON TWO low turnout recalls, but Obama won CO twice in a row when the NRA was opposing him and running ads against him. You recently had a democrat running for Governor in purple VA and running against the NRA and won in VA. You right wingers have a lousy track record when it comes to winning higher turnout statewide races and yet you somehow think you are going to turn purple CO back to a red state. DELUSIONAL is all I will say about that.

POKER BUM

A Democracy is based on majority rule. A 2% turnout on the recall is not what I call a public interested. Victor Head admitted he misinterpreted the wording on the recall petition. I believe in the 2nd Amendment but not in having an M14/M16 or AK47 for home protection or any other reason if your not Military or Law enforcement. Don’t think the public took serious the recall, so move on an don’t repeal the new Gun Control but add to it. How many more must die before we wise up. Too many Guns are dangerous. Put more effort into schools, streets, & jobs for the average family.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.